You know how some people are so set in their ways that they refuse to make the smallest of changes in their routine, even if doing so would be to their advantage?
The same applies to some chickens. Three in particular.
As originally designed, our coop had one small nest box and a second one that was twice as long, and therefore twice as big, as the first one. Snow, Nellie and Hope all insisted on laying their eggs in the smaller of the two boxes, even when that forced two of them to share a spot that’s really only big enough for one full-grown hen.
Hoping to prevent these traffic jams, I installed a divider in the larger nest box last year, thereby creating two smaller boxes identical in size to the overused box. “The girls” now had three boxes from which to choose, each big enough to comfortably hold one hen. Three boxes, three hens, no more overcrowding.
That was the theory.
I made the alteration back in August. In the months that followed, the hens consistently ignored the newer boxes and continued to lay all of their eggs where they always have.
Until yesterday.
When Liz walked back to the house after giving the hens their mid-afternoon snack of yogurt, Cheerios and lettuce, she was carrying three fresh eggs. In an amazed tone of voice, she reported that she had found all three eggs in one of the never-used nest boxes.
Eight months. That’s how long it took the hens to try something new. And they still haven’t solved their space problem. Instead, all of them are now laying claim to a small bit of turf on the opposite side of the coop from the old nest box.
I don’t get it, but that’s often the case with chickens. Sometimes, it’s just best to leave them to their own devices. Most of the time, actually. Okay, all of the time.
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